Just over 6,800 customers in Quebec and about 12,000 in New Brunswick are in the same cold, dark, boat as of mid-morning Saturday.

And hydro officials have said some may not be reconnected until the new year.

Toronto Hydro CEO Anthony Haines says the restoration effort has been “a story of ups and downs” as a result of the weather.

The rising temperatures “will help our customers (but) make it a little more dangerous for us to work around,” he said in a news conference.

“And of course (it) will have residual effects with additional outages, but we are making good progress,” he said.

Despite the setbacks, Haines said he can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, though he wouldn’t give a timeline for the repairs to be complete.

Amid the rising anger and frustration of those still in the dark, utility companies are pleading for patience, saying crews are working around the clock and nothing else can be done to speed up the process.

NB Power said on Twitter its crews were “discovering new issues” Saturday as they worked in some of the province’s hardest-hit areas.